THE 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS  ; 


OR,  THE 


WIG  AND  THE  SHOULDER  OF  MUTTON. 


EMBELLISHED   WITH  TLATES. 


SIDNEY'S  PRESS  : 
NEW  HAVEN-S.  BABCOCK. 


1833. 


/  t 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 

10003058352 


THE 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS  ; 


OR    THE 


WIG  AND  THE  SHOULDER  OF  MUTTON. 


EMBELLISHED   WITH   PLATES. 


SIDNEY'S  PRESS : 

NEW  HAVEN-S.  BABCOCK. 


1833. 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS. 


Mr.  Friendly  was  one  afternoon  at  home, 
and  in  the  drawing-room  with  his  four  chil- 
dren, Lambert,  Charlotte,  Dorothy,  and  Fe- 
lix,   when  three   gentlemen,    whose    names 
were    Vernon,    Fairfield,    and    Fitzwilliam, 
came  to  see  him.     The  children  loved  them 
greatly,    and   were   rejoiced   to    see    them. 
They  would  always  listen  to  their  conversa- 
tion with  a  greedy  ear,  because  it  was  both 
amusing  and  instructive  ;  and  on  this  occa- 
sion sat  till  night  came  on,  without  perceiv- 
ing that  they  wanted  candles.     Mr.  Vernon 
was  relating  a  very  curious  circumstance  that 
happened  to  him  in  his  travels,  when  a  sin- 
gular noise  was  heard  from  the  second  flight 
of  stairs.     The  children  crowded  together  in 
a  fright,  behind  their  father,  instead  of  going 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.      5 

to  see  what  was  the  matter,  as  they  ought  to 
have  done.  Mr.  Friendly  bid  his  eldest  son, 
Lambert,  step  out ;  but  Lambert  passed  the 
order  to  his  sister  Charlotte  ;  Charlotte  to 
Dorothy  ;  and  Dorothy  passed  it  on  to  Felix. 
All  this  was  transacted  in  a  moment.  Mr. 
Friendly  eyed  them  with  a  look,  which  seem- 
ed to  ask  if  he  or  his  friends  should  take  the 
trouble  to  rise,  and  see  what  accident  had 
happened. 

Upon  this,  the  four  began  their  march  tc- 
wards  the  door,  in  the  figure  of  a  square,  each 
supported  by  the  other.  They  were  now 
come  near  the  door,  when  Lambert,  with  a 
fearful  step,  advanced  and  opened  it ;  but 
instantly  fell  back  into  his  former  place. 
The  little  ones  were  terrified  on  seeing  an 
apparition  clothed  in  white,  crawling  along. 
In  short,  our  heroes  uttered  a  shriek,  and  re- 
treated towards  their  father,  who  rose  from 
his  seat,  went  to  the  door  to  ascertain  the 
cause,  and  asked  who  was  there. 

"  I,  sir  !"  replied  a  voice,  that  appeared  to 
issue  from  some  part  of  the  flooring. 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS. 


I !"  said   Mr.  Friendly,  "  and  pray   who 

you?" 

The  barber's  boy,  sir,  looking  for  your 


are  you  V- 


•wig." 

Think,  little  friends,  what  bursts  of  laugh- 
ter now  succeeded  their  preceding  silence. — 
Mr.  Friendly  rang  the  bell  for  a  light,  and 
when  it  came,  perceived  the  wig-box  broken, 
and  the  unfortunate  wig  entangled  about  the 
boy's  right  foot. 

It  appeared  that  the  boy  was  passing 
through  the  hall  in  the  dark,  and  had  dropped 
the  wig-box,  which  was  broken  by  the  fall ; 
the  wig  had  fallen  from  the  lx>x,  and  he  was 
feeling  on  the  floor  for  it. 

The  father  now  asked  his  children  what 
they  had  been  afraid  of.  They  could  not  tell 
and  really  felt  ashamed ;  for  they  had  been 
accustomed  from  their  infancy  not  to  be  afraid 
of  being  in  the  dark ;  and  the  servants  were 
expressly  forbidden  to  tell  them  any  foolish 
stories  about  ghosts  or  goblins. 

The  preceding  conversation  being  thus  de- 
ranged, it  came  at  last  to  turn  upon  this  sub- 
ject :  what   could  occasion   those  surprising 


8      FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS. 

fears,  so  common  to  all  children,  particularly 
on  going  to  bed  in  the  dark  ? 

"  It  is  the  natural  effects  of  darkness,  and 
that  only,"  answered  Mr.  Vernon  :  "as  chil- 
den  cannot  properly  distinguish  objects  around 
them  in  the  dark,  their  imagination,  which  is 
always  smitten  with  the  marvellous,  shapes 
them  out  extraordinary  figures,  by  enlarging 
or  contracting  what  they  look  at,  just  as  cir- 
cumstances govern.  Upon  this,  the  notion  of 
their  weakness  easily  persuades  them  they 
are  utterly  unable  to  resist  those  monsters, 
which  they  think  armed  to  hurt  them.  Ter- 
ror thus  obtains  possession  of  diem,  and  too 
frequently  impresses  fears  which  have  the 
worst  consequences." 

"They  would  be  ashamed,"  said  Mr. 
Friendly,  "  if  they  saw  in  open  day  what  often 
gives  them  so  much  fright  by  night." 

"  It  was  for  all  the  world,"  said  Lambert, 
"just  as  if  I  saw  it;  but  I  needed  only  touch 
it,  and  then  I  knew  very  well  what  it  was." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Charlotte,  "  you  have  given 
us  a  very  admirable  proof  of  your  courage. — 
Needed  only  touch  it !     And  therefore,  I  sup- 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.  9 

pose,  you  would  have  had  me  touch  the  door, 
but  that  I  pushed  you  forward." 

"  It  becomes  you  well  to  talk  about  my 
fear,"  said  Lambert;  "you  that  got  behind 
poor  Felix." 

"And  poor  little  Dorothy  behind  you,"  ad- 
ded the  sly  Felix. 

"  Come,"  said  Mr.  Friendly,  "  I  can  see 
you  have  nothing  to  reproach  each  other  with. 
But  Lambert's  notion  is  not,  upon  that  ac- 
count, less  rational ;  for,  as  in  all  the  mon- 
strous shapes  that  we  image  out  continually 
to  ourselves,  we  have  but  natural  accidents 
to  fear ;  we  may  ward  off  all  danger  by  the 
sense  of  feeling,  which  distinguishes  what 
frequently  deceives  the  sight.  It  is  the  neg- 
lect of  this  precaution  in  our  infancy,  that 
makes  so  many  of  us  fancy  ghosts  in  every 
object  round  about  us.  I  remember  on  this 
head,  a  story,  comical  enough,  which  I  will 
tell  you" 

The  four  children  now  came  round  their 
father,  crying  out,  "  A  story  !  oh,  a  story  '" 
and  their  father  thus  began  it : — 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.     11 

"  In  my  father's  house,  there  lived  a  maid- 
servant, who  one  night  was  sent  for  beer  into 
the  cellar.  We  were  all  seated  at  the  table, 
but  could  not  set  eyes  upon  the  servant  or 
beer.  My  mother,  who  was  of  a  rather  has- 
ty temper,  rose  from  the  table.,  and  went  out 
to  call  her.  As  it  chanced,  the  -cellar  door 
was  open,  but  she  could  not  make  the  ser- 
vant hear.  My  mother  ordered  me  to  bring  a 
candle,  and  go  down  into  the  cellar  with  her. 

I  went  first  to  light  the  way  :  but  as  I  look- 
ed straight  forward,  and  did  not  mind  my 
steps,  all  at  once  I  fell  over  something  rather 
soft.  My  light  went  out,  and  getting  up  I 
put  my  hand  upon  another  hand,  quite  mo- 
tionless and  cold,  which  caused  me  to  give 
an  involuntary  shriek.  Upon  the  cry  that  I 
uttered,  down  came  the  cook-maid  with  a 
candle.  They  drew  near,  and  we  discover- 
ed the  poor  girl  stretched  all  along  upon  the 
ground,  face  downward,  in  a  swoon.  We 
raised  her  up,  and  let  her  have  a  smelling- 
bottle.  She  recovered  her  spirits,  but 
had  hardly  lifted  her  eyes,  when  she  cried 
out :    '  There  !    there  !    she     is  there    still !' 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.  13 


'  Who  is  there  V  replied  my  mother.  'That 
tall  woman  in  white,'  answered  she,  '  there, 
standing    in    the    corner.     See  !  see !  see !' 

We  looked  the  way  that  she  pointed  ;  and 
really  did  see,  as  she  described  it,  something 
white  and  of  a  tolerable  length,  suspended  in 
a  corner.  *  Is  it  only  that  ?'  replied  the  cook- 
maid,  bursting  out  a  laughing,  '  why  that  is 
nothing  but  a  Shoulder  of  Mutton  which  I 
bought  last  night.  I  hung  it  there,  that  it 
might  be  quite  fresh  and  cool :  and  put  a  nap- 
kin round  it,  to  keep  off  the  flies.'  She  im- 
mediately took  off  the  napkin,  and  exhibited 
the  shoulder  of  mutton  to  her  fellow  servant, 
who  stood  trembling  with  terror. 

It  was  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before 
she  was  convinced  of  her  mistake.  She  would 
at  first  insist  upon  it,  that  the  phantom  stared 
her  in  the  face  with  saucer  eyes  ;  that  she  had 
turned  to  run  away,  but  that  the  ghost  had 
followed  her,  fastened  on  her  petticoat,  and 
seized  upon  the  candle  in  her  hand.  What 
happened  after  this,  she  could  not  tell." 

"  It  is  easy  to  explain  all  this,"  said  Mr. 
Vernon,  "  and  assign  the  reason  why   your 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.     15 


servant  fancied  thus  extravagantly.  When 
the  fright  first  seized  her  and  she  swooned, 
the  circulation  of  the  blood  was  stopped,  and 
she  could  not  run  away ;  so  she  thought  that 
she  had  been  held.  Her  limbs  were  deprived 
of  their  strength,  so  that  she  could  not  hold 
the  candle,  and  therefore  she  supposed  that 
the   spectre  took  it  from  her." 

"  We  are  happy,"  added  he,  "  that  the  un- 
derstanding and  good  sense  of  people  have 
begun  to  dissipate  these  foolish  notions  con- 
cerning ghosts  and  goblins.  There  was  once 
a  time  of  so  much  ignorance,  that  these  ideas 
mixed  with  superstitious  notions,  had  depri- 
ved the  boldest  of  their  courage  ;  but  thank 
heaven  they  are  almost  done  away  in  towns, 
though  they  exist  now,  in  the  country,  where 
it  is  not  at  all  uncommon  to  hear  of  witches 
and  evil  spirits" 

Mr.  Fitzwilliam  remarked,  that  "  many 
boys  took  delight  in  frightening  their  play- 
mates, not  thinking  of  the  ill  effects  that  gene- 
rally attend  such  pastime.  I  have  myself  been 
very  lately  told  of  an  unhappy  incident,  which 
shows  how  terribly  the  effects  of  fear  may  act 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.  17 


on  children-  I  will  tell  you  the  tale,  my  little 
friends,  and  I  hope  the  story  will  not  fail  to 
cure  you  of  a  wish  to  frighten  one  another 
when  it  is  dark,  if  ever  you  give  way  to  such 
a  practice. 

Charles  Pomroy,  a  lad  of  great  vivacity 
and  understanding,  had,  such  a  natural  turn 
for  music,  that  besides  his  'daily  lessons  on 
the  organ,  which  his  master  came  to  give  him 
every  morning,  he  would  go  at  night  upon  a 
visit  to  his  master,  who  resided  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  there  repeat  it. 

"  Charles'  brother  Augustus  was  a  good 
boy  likewise,  but.  had  something  of  a  turn 
towards  drollery:  he  spent  the  time,  when 
Charles  was  busy  at  his  book,  in  scheming 
how  he  might  play  off  some  trick  or  other  ;  no 
ways  minding  who  became  the  object  of  his 
waggery.  He  took  notice  that  his  brother 
frequently  came  home  alone,  and  sometimes 
when  it  was  dark;  so  he  turned  his  thoughts 
upon  a  contrivance  to  frighten  him  a  little. — 
He  could  walk  on  stilts.  One  evening,  there- 
fore, at  the  same  time  that  his  brother  was 
expected  home,  he  put  himself  on  a  pair  of 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.     19 

.■      •  ....  .  j 

very  high  ones,  wrapped  a  great  white  sheet 
about  him,  which  trailed  far  behind  upon  the 
ground,  and  took  a  broad  brimmed  hat,  which 
first  of  all  he  flapped,  and  having  covered  it 
with  crape  of  a  sufficient  length  to  hang  a 
great  way  dcwn  on  every  side,  but  most  of  all 
before  him,  put  it  on  his  head.  Thus  fright- 
fully equipped,  he  placed  himself  upright,  and 
at  a  little  distance  from  the  house,  close  by 
the  garden  gate,  through  which  his  brother 
always  used  to  pass,  coming  home. 

Charles  now  returned  home,  delighted 
with  the  tune  he  had  just  learned,  which  he 
was  whistling.  He  was  scarce  come  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  gate,  when  he  per- 
ceived the  vast  spectre,  Avhich  held  out  his 
arms,  and  advanced  to  attack  him.  Over- 
come with  terror  at  the  sight  of  such  an  ap- 
parition, he  fell  down,  deprived  of  understand- 
ing. Poor  Augustus,  who  had  not  foreseen 
{he  consequences  of  his  fatal  frolic,  imme- 
diately threw  away  his  mask,  and  fell  upon 
his  brother's  almost  breathless  body;  he  tried 
every  means  in  his  power  to  re-animate  him 
but,  alas  !  the  poor  little  fellow  was  almost 
dead. 


rH 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.     21 


In  the    greatest    agony   Augustus  called 
loudly  for  help,  and  his  parents  instantly  came 
running  to  the  spot.     They  carried  Charles 
into  the  house  and  put  him  to  bed,  but  it  was 
some  time  before  they  could  restore  anima- 
tion.   At  length  he  opened  his  eyes,  and  view- 
ed them  with  a  vacant  stupid  look.     They 
called  him  by  every  tender  name  ;  but  he  ap- 
peared as  if  h%did  not  comprehend  them. — 
He  endeavored,  but  in  vain,  to  speak :   his 
tongue  essayed  to  do  so,  but  without  articula- 
tion.    He  is  now  deaf,  dumb,  and  foolish,  and 
will  very  probably  remain  so  all  his  life-time. 
Six    or  seven  months  have    now  passed 
away   since  this   melancholy  accident  took 
place,  and  the  doctors  who  attend  him  have 
no  hopes  of  his  recovery. 

Imagine  my  little  friends,  if  you  are  able, 
the  distress  and  sorrow  of  his  parents.  It 
would  certainly  have  been  better  for  them  and 
him  too,  if  he  had  died  on  the  spot.  They 
would  not  then  have  had  every  day  before 
them  such  a  piteous  object  of  affliction  and 
despair. 


FOLLY  OF  JUVENILE  FEARS.  23 


But  their  distress  is  nothing  in  compari- 
son to  Augustus's.  Since  the  unfortunate 
accident,  he  has  fretted  himself  to  a  mere 
skeleton.  He  can  neither  eat  nor  sleep. — 
His  tears  exhaust  him.  Twenty  times  a  clay 
lie  walks  about  the  room,  and  suddenly  stops 
short :  he  wrings  his  hands,  pulls  up  his  hair, 
and  curses  even  his  birth.  He  calls  and  em- 
braces his  dear  brother,  who  no  longer  knows 
him.  I  have  seen  them  both,  and  cannot  tell 
which  of  the  two  is  most  unhappy  " 


JUVENILE  AND  TOY  BOOKS, 

(All  embellished   with    New  and  Elegant  Engravings,) 

JUST   PUBLISHED   AND   FOR   SALE   B? 

S,  BABCOCK, 

CHURCH  STREET,  NEW  HAVEN. 


Tommy  Tucker  ;  or  the  Lovely  Boy. 

Morning  Ramble  ;  or  the  Mountain  Top.  * 

Stories  ior  Little  Girls  ;  or  a  Present  from  Mother.  '- 

George  Talbot ;  or  Samuel  Reformed.  i 

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Stories  for  E mma.  '' 

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Early  Seeds,  to  produce  Spring  Flowers.  £* 

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Charles  Williams ;  or  the  Danger  of  Disobedience.  Q 

Home  :  by  Mrs.  Sherwood.  ?« 

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Berets  and  Birds.  :: 

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round  :  by  Mrs.  Sherwood. 

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Easy  Questions:  by  Mrs.  Sherwood.  :! 

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Scripture    .      u      s;  for  Young  Masters.  /;'r: 

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Child's  Instructor. 

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Picture  Primer :  intended  as  a  First  Book  for  Children. 
Nursery  Tutor;  or  Buds  of  Learning. 
Stor'n     about  the  Elephant. 

ture  Reader  :  designed  as  a  First  Reading  Book. 

ir's  First ;  or  Mother's  Catechism, 
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>'i 


I 


New  Haven,  Dec.  1,  1  133. 

■■■■■■■  m 


